Patent application title: Drawer Liner

Abstract:

Disclosed is a flexible drawer liner with raised projections, which allows
for orderly arrangement of items--between the projections. Cut to size,
it fits in any/all drawers and boxes, and can be used in kitchen, office,
bathroom, workroom . . . wherever. It replaces existing rigid organizers
such as kitchen silverware trays, or other organizational boxes. And, no
need for a separate drawer liner--as the invention is a cushioned liner
and organizer all in one. It just gets measured and cut to fit any drawer
or box. Arrange your silverware or other items on the liner, and you're
done. It's time to throw away those drawer organizers that don't fit, and
just don't do the job very well. The invention can also be used in sinks,
as a draining mat, leaning dishes on end to dry. This is a clever
household organization solution--and is a great fit for existing products
such as cooking and eating utensils, hand tools, et cetera.

Claims:

1. A storage mat for useful articles, wherein the mat comprises a base and
a plurality ofprojections stemming from the mat, and arranged in an
orderly manner along two directions, so as to provide a means for
organizing said articles in either a corresponding or a facilitated
orderly manner.

2. The storage mat in claim 1 whose base is of a material and form that it
may easily be trimmed to custom size, and fitted to the bottom of a sink,
so as to act as a convenient strainer for drying washed dishes.

4. The storage mat in claim 1 whose projections are shaped with a
cross-sectional area that is greatest at some pre-determined distance
from the base, so as to keep articles in position and prevent them from
shifting.

5. The storage mat in claim 1 whose projections are of a material and form
that they may easily be severed selectively, so as to define one or more
clearances fitted to one or more said articles.

Description:

SUMMARY

[0001]Disclosed is an article of manufacture intended to aid in the
organization and storage of eating and cooking utensils, in its preferred
embodiment. It can also be used, however, to organize craft supplies,
small tools, et cetera, and to stabilize dishware (as in a kitchen sink)
that has been washed by hand. Though, in its preferred embodiment, the
invention is a drawer liner.

[0002]An object of the invention is a drawer liner that provides for the
orderly arrangement of items, among an array of projections. Another
object is a drawer liner that can easily be cut to appropriate custom
size, whether it is for the bottom of a drawer, a kitchen sink, a
countertop, et cetera. Still another object is an organizer that
maximizes the space available for actual storage, and minimizes the space
taken up by the organizer itself. Yet another object is an organizer that
allows the user to decide where specific items will be located during
storage.

[0003]The invention is molded from a suitable material such as plastic,
polyurethane, rubber, vinyl, et cetera. It can be made in rolls, sheets,
or custom sizes depending on volume. Other embodiments can be constructed
with multiple pieces, to provide necessary strength for heavier or
bulkier items. Conceivably, a flat wooden board, a flexible mat, or metal
plate (as examples) can be used as a base in which so many projections
are fastened by a suitable means, at predetermined locations on the base.
The base may contain holes for lightening or drainage.

[0004]Also in other embodiments, the profile of the projections themselves
can be of a non-cylindrical shape. Larger tips, for example, can
facilitate the utility of the invention more effectively. The invention
can be made either flexible or rigid.

DRAWING FIGURES

[0005]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the invention in its preferred
embodiment.

[0006]FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the invention in its preferred
embodiment.

[0007]FIG. 3 shows a close-up perspective view of an alternate embodiment
of the invention.

[0008]FIG. 4 shows a top view of the invention in its preferred
embodiment, in a rolled condition.

[0009]FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the invention in its preferred
embodiment, along with a number of items for which the embodiment is
intended.

[0010]FIG. 6 shows an overhead perspective view of the invention in its
preferred embodiment, in an alternate use, along with a number of items
for which the embodiment is intended.

[0011]FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the invention, as it is used in a
drawer.

DESCRIPTION

[0012]FIG. 1 is a good view of the invention 10 in its simplest form. The
invention is molded as a single piece of material. It has two main
components, a base 20 and a plurality of projections 30. In this case the
material is an elastomer. It is pliable to the extent that it will accept
items that vary in shape substantially.

[0013]FIG. 2 is a view of the invention 10 showing by example how a wide
variety of arrangements for the projections 30 are acceptable, and
foreseen.

[0014]FIG. 3 is a close-up partial view of the invention 10 showing by
example how the projections 30 can be of a non-cylindrical shape. In
fact, a wide variety of shapes are foreseeable, which accommodate the
specifics of a particular application.

[0016]FIG. 5 shows the invention 10 in use. Here a specific size has been
cut to fit a kitchen drawer, and to serve as an organizer. The drawer
itself is not shown in the figure, so as to aid visibility.

[0017]FIG. 6 shows the invention 10 in an alternate use. Here it has been
cut to fit the bottom of a sink, and to serve as a strainer.

[0018]FIG. 7 shows the invention 10 in another alternate use. Here it is
shown inside a drawer, and used to locate and store hand tools.

[0019]Of course, many of the projections can be trimmed off, to provide
customized recessed areas (as suggested in FIG. 2, where the layout of
the projections shown can either be established as it is manufactured, or
trimmed after the product has been purchased by the consumer).

[0020]Although not shown in FIG. 7, this function of trimming away one or
more projections to form custom recesses can help a user to identify the
proper storage location for a particular article, so that the article may
be returned to the recessed area that matches the particular article, in
overall shape.